Americans' expectations of when small gatherings will be safe have shifted in the past month, with more people now saying these gatherings won't happen until mid-summer or later, according to a survey from The Washington Post and University of Maryland in College Park.
For the survey, researchers polled a nationally representative sample of 1,007 adults from May 5-10.
Five survey findings:
1. About 58 percent of respondents said they were worried about contracting COVID-19 and becoming seriously ill, down from 63 percent a week prior.
2. Eighty percent said they thought it was necessary for people to wear a mask when they are outside their home.
3. One-third of respondents said people in their community are not taking social distancing guidelines seriously enough, while 55 percent said their community members are striking the right balance.
4. Sixty-six percent said they don't think it will be safe to have gatherings of 10 or more until July at the earliest. Of this group, 24 percent said it would not be safe until 2021.
5. In mid-April, 51 percent of Americans said it would be safe to have these gatherings by June, according to a similar Washington Post-University of Maryland poll. The most recent findings show just 32 percent of people now think this is true.
To view the full survey, click here.